Doran
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Posts posted by Doran
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And then I have questions about his conclusion being veganism. I think he argued well for a sizable reduction in animal products in the diet, but I don't think he can conclude that the optimal diet is zero foods of animal origin, at least from what he presented in the book. Even in his huge study, the villagers eating the least amount of animal foods weren't vegan, as far as I could tell ftom what he communicated.
Then there are the questions about other factors in their lifestyle which could be just as important as diet: physical activity, family networks and social support being a few. Like the women in my family ancestry who lived disease free into their 90's while consuming milk and meat every day, but did vigorous work and walked a LOT every day of their lives from childhood on.
I must preface by saying that I have NOT read the book, so my response is slightly inappropriate given the original question. However, I'm skeptical of most "diet plans" which make blanket statements as if what applies to one person or population would automatically apply to all of them. I don't believe that diets free from animal proteins are *necessarily* healthier for everyone, and I would go so far as to advocate for the health *benefits* of omnivorous diets which include animal proteins from animals raised in environments which most closely mimic their natural instincts (diet, range, etc.).
That said, watching a show like this (Frontline: Poisoned Waters) and living on one of the many tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, does leave me contemplating vegetarianism more carefully. :confused:
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Yeah, the bunnies will think so, too, just about the time you're ready to harvest your salad. Ask me how I know. :glare:
Terri
BTDT! We even had a fence around our little plot when we went off for a week's vacation. Mystery Critter (bunnies is the only thing that makes any sense) came in and devoured all my lettuce starts, four out of five tomato plants, and half my basil. Never have I had a rabbit eat a tomato plant or basil. Crazy. Luckily, there was still time for me to replant that season, so I still got to harvest some goodies after all. This is another small advantage to containers on a deck. It's a little more difficult for a rabbit to get up to the edge of a big pot.
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Cool ideas! I love the wet boxes idea. As it's raining today, I'll scout around tomorrow for a sunny spot to try it out. The leaves are just now coming back on the oaks and other trees; in the early spring, I'm always fooled into thinking that my yard is sunnier than it really is. Thanks for the tips.
Chris, do you have a deck or patio near your house that gets more sun than the yard? Except for staying on top of the watering (which you'd still have to do in a yard-based garden, but possibly less frequently), having containers near your house might inspire you to be more attentive.
I'd suggest lettuces or a mesclun mix in a good sized pot for starters. This will grow with less sunlight than, say, tomatoes and is a good spring plant. Radishes thrive easily now as well. You may be able to get free pots from a landscaper who will have plenty after doing a big project for a [less frugal] customer. Look for something big - like 5 gallon or so. Later, certain tomatoes and other summer crops will also grow in containers, but you'll want to look for those varieties in particular.
If you find a sunny spot in your yard that looks promising, lay down the cardboard or thick newspaper, and build a mound of soil up on top of it (you may have to import this from someone, unless you've got compost in your yard already). You can box the bed(s) in, or not, as you wish. Try to avoid pressure treated lumber, though, as it has been treated with less than lovely chemicals which can leach into your growing area. One cherry tomato plant, a yellow squash or zucchini, and a sweet pepper might make your dd very happy, and wouldn't require much room. Basil is also easy to grow. Cucumbers do best with something to grow up, but they're fun and productive. That's probably enough for now, huh? :001_smile:
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So I am a much happier, at peace mama tonight, and you all played a part in that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!! :grouphug:
Aw, Erica...I have been following your posts here and sending healing thoughts to you and your daughter. What a hard, exhausting road. I hope you all sleep soundly tonight and feel a great lightness of being tomorrow now that you have so much weight lifted from your shoulders and hearts. Thanks for the update. I am thrilled for you!
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I managed and sold at a local farmers' market for almost 10 years. We have had a variety of baked goods available from different vendors over the years, and each has had varying degrees of success with their products. I would offer the following suggestions:
1. Make a few things very well (someone else said this above). It may take a few weeks, but you will, eventually, become known as "The Muffin Lady" or "The Bread Lady" and people will tell others about you. It takes time to build a reputation, and it's important to be consistent with what you offer in the beginning so that people know what to expect. One of our earliest bakers made cookies, sweet breads, and some loaf breads. If you wish, you can offer muffins or sweet breads, for example, and vary the ingredients with the seasons. Berries in spring and early summer. Peaches. Zucchini. Apples. So you always have some kind of muffin and people can look forward to seeing the ingredients change as the fruit at the stands changes. Or, you can be more exotic, and offer combos: corn-blueberry, fig-lavender, cranberry-walnut.
2. Doing the above will also help you streamline your home production. You will know to buy X amount of flour, X amount of muffin tins, etc, and won't have to second guess your prices so much.
3. Don't undercharge. Fifteen years ago, I worked at a natural foods store. A woman made muffins (the big ones) and we sold them for $1.50 each. They were always popular. Explain that you've used the freshest ingredients (use key words like local, organic, all natural -- whatever works), and charge according to what you'll need to make a profit (or, to at least, break even).
4. Take a poll. Draw up an informal poll for customers at market. Hand it out or ask people as they come to your table. Explain that you are new and you'd like to see what customers would most want. That might help you fine tune your selection.
We have a French baker at our market now who makes more than any other vendor in one Saturday. He's phenomenal (the real deal) and his products are not something that could be matched in a home kitchen. But, the deal is, people are willing to pay a bundle because his stuff is so good. You can build up a following, too - in time.
(Oh, another idea is pizza dough. Not baked. Keep it cool and sell it in Ziplocs for $3.50 each. NO baking for you, and a welcome product for customers! :D)
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I'm so sorry this has happened!!! I can't even imagine the fear. I checked for her on the Amber Alert site and didn't find her. Do you think that's because it's not yet clear that she was actually abducted (ie: may have left voluntarily?). Do you have any idea whether she could have been seeing someone in secret? No matter -- I will keep this family in my thoughts. This is every parent's worst nightmare.
:grouphug:
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I've had related thoughts fairly often. Nearly anytime I am part of what I deem a cultural experience (Native American Festival, for example) I find myself in kind of a place of envy over "not belonging". I long for the wisdom of the ages which seems to run in the blood of older countries. I admire my friends who have carried into adulthood the traditions of their Swedish grandmother, or their Irish father, and I wish for something similar in my own life.
But, I guess the collective experience of all those other cultures here on American soil, in combination with our attitudes and inventions, our ideas and ambitions, is what makes us American. We are a unique blend, and that uniqueness is our culture. I think I like how mcconnellboys said it: rather than culture-less, we are culture-full.
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We just purchased an older second car, a '96 Toyota Camry LE that runs like a dream. It's got the looks I love with exterior and interior in mint cond, leather seats, real wood dashboard, sunroof. Originally it was purchased for dh to drive on his 20 min commute to work so I could drive the newer car to lessen the chances of me breaking down on the road... not that the car's given us any reason to think that it would leave me stranded. Our other car is an '05 Toyota Camry that also runs like a dream, interior and exterior in mint cond but I've never had fond affections for it.
WWYD if you liked the look and feel of the older car but had unfounded fears of breaking down on the road? Would you drive the newer car or the older one? My dh doesn't care which way we go. He said "whatever you want". I don't know what I want.
Thanks..
;););)
I am the proud owner of a new car. For six years prior, I drove a 1988 Volkswagen, so for me, driving an older car wasn't a big concern.
Things I'd consider:
1. Do you have a cell phone? If so, calling for assistance is an option. We got cell phones only a little over a year ago, so yes, I did break down with kids and w/out cell phone access more than once, but...
2. What kind of city do you live in? Ours is small, not particularly dangerous, and finding trustworthy help is not all that difficult. Within moments of our first-ever breakdown, a friend saw us on the side of the road and stopped to offer help. Another time, I was able to flag down some bicyclists and borrow their cell phone to....
3. Call AAA. Having a roadside assistance plan pays for itself the very first time you use it. Might be worth considering should you decide to go with the older car.
4. Of primary concern, for me, would be which car has the better safety or fuel economy? If I was the one doing the bulk of the driving (w/ kids), I'd choose the car with the best safety and mileage ratings overall probably weighted toward safety. Aesthetics would come secondary.
HTH!
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Ah, but if you've ever tried to get an egg out from a broody hen that chicken will have TRIED to eat your fingers! :D
Boy do I know that feeling! :glare:
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But what were they doing trying to sell at 9:00 at night?
They were finishing up their rounds!!!!! :lol:
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To see this post come back up again just made me smile, because (are you ready?...you know you are!) YES!, I have now had a visit from The Creepy Meat Man.
It took almost a year before the circuit made its way to my neck of the marsh, but there he stood, at my door, with his pick-up idling in the driveway. And, it was my husband who answered the knocking. I was too busy rolling on the floor in the next room to speak at all! :lol::lol::lol:
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Okay, I know this post is from the really old part of this thread, but when you open up this page, Elaine's post is first in response to Doran. And, well, the pasta water for potted plans thing caught my eye!
So now I want to know, is this just a 'recycle any old kind of water any old kind of way' thing, or is pasta water supposed to be good for potted plants for some reason?
Nothing special about pasta water -- in fact, some of it might be too starchy for all but the larger pots that get lots of water (we're talking potted tomatoes and such) -- but rinse water (like the stuff you use to wash potatoes, or lettuce) and blanching water (beans and such) make for great water supplies. My most reliable potted plant recycled water is bottles of water that aren't empty after the end of an excursion. Toss it right on and feel great about it!
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Thanks, Abbey! That is just the sort of thing I wanted to know. The article said to bring sheet music that the accompanist will play during the auditions. Yep, smiling and speaking loudly will be key, thanks for mentioning that.
She may also have to go to the audition alone - as in, you may or may not be allowed to go in with her. You might want to check into their policies on that, and whether they stick to them for every candidate (even one so young), just so you and she know what to expect.
She could also sing something that she's done in church, if she knows her previous solos by heart. Any favorite children's songs? Abbey's right, what is less important than how. :)
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Doran,
You know we still love ya, even though you dont homeschool. And I love your PESD reference you are too funny.
Miss your posts.
Aw, thanks, Jet. Now, where's that "blowing kisses" smiley?
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It's just plain jasmine rice. I boiled it for lunch and then realized I had leftovers to use up. The rice sat on the stove all afternoon, forgotten. Pitch or keep?
I'd eat it if had sat out overnight. I know some folks would find that a risky choice, but I'm just not so easily dissuaded from food! :lol:
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Funny. I haven't posted more than a quick reply here in ages, yet tonight I stop by and discover Robin in TX and Eliana among the crowd.
I'm not sure if I am an "old poster" or not, but I did spend a great deal of time here in previous years. Like you, I found many of the conversations engaging and enriching, something I seem to see less of now. I figured I was just out of the loop, not being so much a part of the community as I once was. Perhaps not. Generally, I'd suggest the shift has occurred for a variety of benign reasons: more people are working, some have aged out (kids in school or grown and gone), and there are competing sites vying for attention.
As for me, my kids are no longer homeschooled, so I have less reason to spend time here. But, my disengagement began months before my kids entered school. I was among those who grew disheartened at the harsh tones and divisiveness which developed during the election process, so I began to visit less. Eventually, I found other outlets for my online conversations (Facebook among them).
I think this site still offers benefits that other discussion boards do not, the diversity and curiosity of its members among them. And, I believe the Curriculum and High School Boards still have a bit more of that old flavor that you seem to be missing. Maybe, along with the more life oriented possibilities, the General Board is suffering from some post-election-stress-disorder which may take awhile to heal.
:confused:
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Oh, sweetheart! It's good to 'see' you! I'm not here very often these days, but there are some posters I really miss seeing when I am here... and here you are! :)
Agreeing with and echoing these sentiments. I'm rarely here anymore, but how nice to see both of you here at once! :001_wub:
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I'm sprouting all over! Hips, bum, thighs, and...ahem... the proverbial "other". :D
Seriously, I do/have sprouted seeds. Had the best success with radish sprouts, and enjoyed alfalfa for awhile as well. Some tips I didn't know about when I first started: (1) Don't put your seeds in direct sunlight or in a place that is too warm or you'll end up with moldy sprouts. (2) Sprouts are actually at their MOST nutritious when they are only just sprouted. By the time they are leafy, they've lost some nutritional value but gained a more useful composition. Just something to keep in mind, particularly as you sprout larger seeds like mung beans and peas.
Enjoy!
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On the ACV recommendation, here's a link that should help:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2076940_use-apple-cider-vinegar-colds.html
I was just in conversation the other night about using ACV as both preventive and cure, and they swear by a tsp./day.
On dairy, there are conflicting reports for sure, but those that recommend against it note that dairy is mucous producing (not to mention the fact that we're not baby cows!) and is, therefore, not the best thing to consume if you're fighting congestion. For some, the health benefits of raw milk seem to outweigh the potential negatives, but I guess that's a whole "nother" topic. ;)
If I were you, I'd do much of what you're already doing:
Loads of warm liquids, particularly a "broth" I like to make when I'm sick:
2 cups water or homemade chicken stock
1/2" fresh ginger, sliced thin
3 scallions, cut into chunks
1 clove garlic, sliced thin
Bring to a boil together, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Salt to taste. Drink (and eat - yes eat those goodies!)
Zinc lozenges
Steam tents with eucalyptus oil (towel over head, head over hot bowl of water+oil)
More sleep than usual
Super-good diet (leafy greens in particular)
Hope you feel better soon!!
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The nutritional benefits from most oils, particularly these, are significantly decreased if the oil has been highly refined. I'm pretty sure the Lou Ann CO is a refined product, and I'm certain that the palm oil in your Skippy is a refined palm oil. Do some reading on health benefits of red palm oil (unrefined) and likewise for unrefined coconut oil to see if the answers to your questions become any clearer. If you are using refined versions of these oils, you would probably be better off to seek out another brand or product.
Do you happen to have a Trader Joes near you?
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I cook greens much like what has been described below. Wash, stem and chop the greens. Sautee onion and/or garlic in olive oil (believe it or not, for kale I often use coconut oil), then add in the still wet greens. Toss greens in the oil just enough to coat with oil and cook them down just a little, then add water (generally only about 2 cups per large pot. I don't always add bouillon, but it does add to the flavor. I increase the salt if I don't use bouillon. Cook to the tenderness of your liking. Add red pepper flakes, lemon juice and additional salt and pepper at the end, to taste. I've never added sugar to my greens, but I think part of the reason for that is that I'm usually fortunate to be able to cook local greens purchased at the farmers'market, so they aren't bitter to begin with . We amend with vinegar at the table, not while cooking. My Dad, who was a ham hock kinda guy ;) even enjoyed greens cooked this way.
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Doran, I'm not trying to be an alarmist. Quite to the contrary actually. And I too love (or loved) by crock-pot. The problem with DIY lead tests is they wound't pick up the small amounts of lead that evidently leech from a crock-pot.
It requires sophisticated test equipment. A news-station did independent tests and found results that raised concerns. And the leaching problem is much worse when the crock-pot is heated (as it is designed to be).
No one (even the manufacturers) disputes that there is some amount of lead leach. But Rival will not tell you how much. Only that there has never been a recall by the FDA, and there products meet FDA standards.
OK. Can you provide me with the test results so I can make an informed decision?
Sir, we make hundreds of models of crock-pots.
I have the model and serial numbers right here.
Sir all or crock-pots meet FDA standards and....
Yes so can you provide me with the testing data my model crock-pot?
Sir there has never been a recall of any Rival brand....
Could you provide any testing data on any model of crock-pot?
Bottom line? No
Bill
I get all that. I truly do. And, I understood that about these pots from the moment I first laid eyes on these discussions. But, I still can't sort out the relative risk when looking at all the toxins in all the products with which I am in contact every day, and whether I'd be better off spending my time researching replacements for my traditional home furnishings (on which my children sleep, and play and read, and...let's just say that cumulatively, they spend loads more time on the furniture and carpets than they do ingesting foods which were prepared in my crock pot.) than on whether I should deep six my slow cooker. Even though we're comparing apples to half lives here, I think you get the point. Yes, sometimes it feels good to act on that which we can act. Other times, and for me increasingly so, as I narrow and eliminate more and more choices from my life, it feels reactionary and a tad foolish. I haven't quite figured out where I fit on this particular topic, that's all.
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I have grown to love my Rival cooker in the past three years and am loathe to give it up. I spent some time poking around on the internet this morning and found this discussion to be helpful. At the end of the day, it doesn't look as though there is any certain solution, and depending on who you choose to believe, you can find good and bad in all the options available "out there". One poster in the linked discussion has tested her Rival with a home test kit and found it to be negative. Interesting.
I actually own a lovely stainless steel pressure cooker which I gave up using awhile back as I grew more committed to the Nourishing Traditions (Sally Fallon) style of cooking. Fallon does not advocate pressure cooking because of what it does (or does not do) in terms of rendering the nutrients in certain foods accessible to our bodies. Now, I'm not such a firm Fallon follower, and I'm wondering about my pressure cooker all over again.
The thing is, I could become concerned about some aspect of the toxicity of living at every turn. It's mind boggling the numbers of issues that are available for us to worry about. In some respects, the whole concept of tossing out "perfectly useful pots" (yes, I'm using that term very loosely here) troubles me enormously. Here we are surrounded by petroleum based food systems, upholstered furniture, carpeting, clothing, shoe leather, automotive exhaust, incinerator fumes, plastic packaging, and more, yet we are chucking our crock pots into the land fill for fear of leaching lead.
Don't get me wrong. I appreciate and share these concerns and wish we had simpler means of detoxifying our lives. But, in the scheme of things, I suppose I'm just not entirely convinced that tossing my Rival crock pot and buying something spanky new (which has contributed its own share of damage simply by being produced) is the best solution in the big picture.
:confused::confused::confused:
Help me think of a WWE poster slogan...
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
Writing With Ease: Step by Step to Writing Success
Writing With Ease: Old Problem. New Solution.
Teaching With Confidence. Writing With Ease.
Yes, Virginia, there is a better way. Writing With Ease
Writing With Ease: Takes the Writhing out of Writing
Writing With Ease: No Kidding.
:D